The Wifes Of ?.

I find working with Government documents not only fun but can be very rewarding. One can learn on how our Government started and the changes that were made a long the way. I like the Bill and Acts, as they can tell you a lot about ones ancestors, yes there a lot of legal words, but the information you get makes it worth reading. You can learn dates and place and names of children and wife’s and husbands names. One can find out about a ancestors military service or what kind of work he may have done. These documents are full of information so if you run across a Government document, when your researching your ancestor take time to read it you never know what kind of treasures lay within.

Note. This information will come from the Bills and Acts, housed at the Libary of Congress.

AN ACT
JANUARY 27, 1857.
Relinquishing the claim of the United States to certain property of which Elijah King died seized and possessed, in the District of Columbia, upon certain specified conditions.

Whereas it has been represented to the Congress of the United States that one Elijah King, an emancipated slave, died intestate recently in the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, seized and possessed of, and entitled to, real estate in said city of considerable value, leaving a wife, Christian King, a slave, the property of one William A. Stephenson, of the county of Fauquier, and State of Virginia, to whom the said Elijah, whilst they were both slaves, was married by John B. Armistead, a justice of the peace, with consent of the owners of both said Elijah and said Christian, and having also two sons, Bayliss King and Thomas King, issue of the marriage, the said two sons being slaves, and owned by one Robert Carter, of said county and State: and whereas it is doubtful whether said wife and children can, by reason of their condition as slaves, lawfully take and hold said real estate by inheritance, in which event it is believed that said real estate, for want of lawful heirs of said Elijah King, has vested in the United States: and whereas it is represented to the Congress of the United States that the owners of the said slaves, the wife and sons, are willing to emancipate and set free the said slaves, and thereby invest them with power to take, hold, and enjoy said real estate, provided the United States will release to and vest in them all right, title, and interest to and in said real estate, which may have vested in the United States—one-third of said right, title, and interest to be held and enjoyed by the wife for life, and the other two-thirds, with the reversion of the wife’s third, by the Sons absolutely: Therefore;

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That so soon as the said Christian King, and the said Bayliss King and Thomas King, the wife and sons of the said Elijah King, shall have been emancipated and set free by their owners, respectively, all right, title, and interest to and in the real estate of which the said Elijah King shall have died seized, possessed, or entitled, which by default of his having left heirs capable of inheriting from him shall have vested in the United States, shall be, and the same is hereby, vested in the wife and Sons, to be held, owned, and enjoyed by them one-third by the said wife for life, and the other two-thirds, with the reversion of the wife’s third, to the said sons absolutely, with full power to sue for and recover such right, title, and interest, as is hereby vested or intended to be vested in said wife and Sons.

SEC. 2. .And be it further enacted, That in the event either or any two of said slaves shall be emancipated and set free in contemplation of the provisions of this act, and the owner or owners shall decline to set free all of them, the provisions of this act shall inure to such as shall be emancipated and set free. If the wife alone be emancipated and set free, then the said right, title, and interest shall vest in her absolutely; if the two Sons be emancipated, and the wife be not, then said right, title, and interest shall vest absolutely in said sons, or in one of them, if but one be emancipated; and if the wife and one son be emancipated, then the wife shall hold and enjoy one-half of the said real estate for life, and the son shall take and h.1d the other half, and the reversion of the wife’s half, absolutely: Provided, nevertheless, That this act shall not be construed to affect or impair in any manner, or to any extent, the legal or equitable rights, titles, or interests of other persons, if any such there be, to or in such real estate. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the passage thereof.
Passed the House of Representatives January 27, 1857.

A BILL
JANUARY 3, 1848.
For the relief of Peter Capella, administrator of Andrew Capella, deceased; and for the relief of John Caps, and for the relief of Elijah Pelty and Hannah Pelty his wife, heirs of John Beardon, deceased.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress as8embled, That the judge of the district -court of the United States for the northern district of Florida be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to receive and adjudicate the claim of Peter Capella, administrator of Andrew Capella; and also the claim of John Caps, and also the claim of Elijah Pelty and Hannah, his wife, heirs of John Be.ardon, under the provisions of the act of Congress of the twenty-sixth day of June, eighteen hundred and thirty11 four, entitled “An act for the relief of certain inhabitants of East Florida,” and that said several claims may be settled by the treasury as are other cases under said act: Provided, however, That the petition for the allowance of such claim shall be presented to said judge, by the proper parties entitled to prefer the same, within one year from the passage of this act: And provided, also, That said. Parties shall respectively, allege in such petition, and prove to said judge, reasonable cause for such petition not having been presented within the time prescribed and enacted by said act of June twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred and thirty-four.

A BILL
JANUARY 6, 1826.
For the relief of James: Wolcott, anti Mary his of the State of Ohio.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and required to pay, out of any money in the Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, unto James Wolcott, and Mary his wile, of the State of Ohio, late Mary Wells, a half blooded Indian, of the Miami nation, the sum of nineteen hundred and twenty dollars, in lieu of, and in full satisfaction for, a section of land, which was reserved to her by the treaty held at St. Mary’s, in the State of Ohio, on the sixth of October, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, between the United States and tile Miami nation of Indians, and which is described in said treaty, as “lying at the mouth of Stony creek, on the Southeast side of the Wabash river, the centre of which was to be at the mouth of said creek, running with the meanders thereof, up and down said river, one half mile, and thence back, for quantity;” about two hundred acres of which said section of land, has since been sold, by mistake of the officers of the Government of the United States, at the Land Office at crawfordsville, in the State of Indiana: Provided, however, That, before the payment of the said sum of nineteen hundred and twenty dollars, or any part thereof, to the said James Wolcott and Mary his wife, they shall execute a release, conveying all their int1et in an4 to said section of laud, to the United States, which they shall deposit with the Commissioner of the General Land Office.

A BILL
JANUARY 14, 1847.
For the relief of William E. Davis, and Mary Ann, his wife.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Third Auditor of the Treasury Department be, and he hereby is, directed to audit and adjust the account of William E. Davis, and Mary Ann Davis, his wife, for fuel taken by the troops of the United States, and those engaged in the transport service, from Key Biscayne, on the coast of Florida, during the late war with the Seminole Indians, and allow them a just and reasona9 ble compensation for so much thereof as he shall b satisfied went to the use of the United States, it being proved to his satisfaction that the said William E. and Mary Ann were the legal owners of the same. And the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to pay the amount which may be found due them, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

A BILL
FEBRUARY 8, 1836.
For the relief of James Sutherland and Rebecca his wife, formerly Rebecca Parkerson.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the proper accounting officers shall ascertain the amount due to the said Rebecca, the only child of James Parkerson, who was a lieutenant in the continental line during the revolutionary war, and who died in the service, for the seven years’ half pay of a lieutenant, promised by a resolution of the Congress of the United States, and when ascertained, that they pay said sum to the said James Sutherland and Rebecca his wife, in full compensation for said seven years’ half pay, as promised by said resolution.
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the sum found to be due be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

A BILL
January 15, 1872.
For the relief of Anson Rudd.

Whereas Anson Rudd, and Harriet, his wife, of Fremont County, Colorado Territory, did, on the twentieth day of March, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, by deed of that date, convey to the United States a certain tract of land situate in said county and Territory, known and described as follows, to wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of section thirty-two, in township number eighteen south, of range seventy west; running thence east one hundred rods; thence south forty rods; thence west one hundred rods; thence north forty rods, containing twenty-five acres; which said land was so conveyed by said Rudd and wife to the United States, to be used and occupied by the United States as a site for a penitentiary building, and upon no other consideration whatever; and whereas the said tract of land was not accepted by the United States for the purpose aforesaid, and the penitentiary in the Territory of Colorado has been located upon another and different tract of land: Therefore;
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representalives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the said deed made by the said Anson Rudd and wife, bearing date as aforesaid, and recorded in the office of the register of deeds of Fremont County, Colorado Territory, be inoperative and without effect, and the said Rudd shall hold the tract of land therein described free and discharged there-
from.

A BILL
DECEMBER 19, 1854.
For the relief of Parmelia Slavin, late tile wife of John Blue, deceased.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of’ Representatives of the United States of’ America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior cause the name of Parmelia Slavin, the widow of William Slavin, deceased, arid lately The widow of John Blue, deceased, to be placed upon the roll of pensioners of the United States, at the rate of four dollars per month, for five years, from the first day of January, anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, in full satisfaction of her claim to pension as widow of the said John Blue.

A BILL
DECEMBER 28, 1837.
For the relief of Willis Stephens and wife.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the title of the United States to a tract of land embracing fractional section fifteen and a part of section ten, in township seven, of range two east, in the Huntsville district, Alabama, laid off under the provisions of the eighth section of the treaty of eighteen hundred and seventeen, and the second section of the treaty of eighteen hundred and nineteen, with the Cherokee tribe of Indians, for Willis Stephens and wife, be, and is hereby, relinquished to the said Willis Stephens and wife.

A BILL
FEBRUARY 19, 1822.
Granting a tract of land to William Conner and wife, and to their children.

Be it enacted by the Senate and liou8e of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assem8 bled, That William Conner, be, and he is hereby authorized and empowered to enter with the Register of the Land Office at Brookville, without payment, six, hundred and forty acres of land, to include his improvements, at a place called the Delaware Towns, in the state of Indiana, which shall be bounded by sectional and divisional lines; and a patent shall issue for the same, to. the said William Conner and his wife, an Indian woman of the Delaware tribe, for and during the natural lives of the said William Conner and wife, jointly, and to the survivor of them, during the natural life of such survivor; and to their children and legal representatives of any deceased child or children as tenants in common, the representatives of any deceased child, taking together such portion of the land as such child would have been entitled to, if :he or she had survived the said William Conner awl his said wife, and the said land to be vested in the said children and their lawful heirs, in fee simple.

AN ACT
FEBRUARY 14, 1873.
For the relief of George Washington, and Sallie Washington, his wife, of Alexandria, Virginia.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, empowered and directed, out of any money not otherwise appropriated by law, to pay to George Washington, and Sallie Washington, his wife, of Alexandria, Virginia, without interest, the amount of the proceeds of the sale, for direct taxes due the United States, of house and lot numbered two hundred and twenty-one, King street, Alexandria, as evidenced by direct-tax sale certificate number one hundred and thirty-four, less all taxes, costs, and legal charges accrued by reason of the sale thereof for said direct taxes, by the tax-commis13 sioners of the United States under the laws for the collection of direct taxes: Provided, That said George Washington and Sallie Washington, their heirs or personal representatives, shall, before receiving such payment, duly execute and deliver a full and complete quit-claim conveyance of said property to the purchaser thereof, his heirs, assigns, or legal representatives, as the Secretary may require.
Passed the House of Representatives February 12, 1873.

A BILL
JUNE 10, 1854.
For the relief of Robert F. McGuire and Louisa, his wife, late Louisa Lamy.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Robert F. McGuire and Louisa McGuire, his wife, late Louisa Lamy, be, and they are hereby, confirmed in their title to a certain tract of land, in the State of Louisiana, containing four hundred arpents, situate in and being a part of the “Baron de Bastrop grant,” being the same tract to which the said McGuire and wife derived their title from the conveyance of A. Morehouse, dated seventeenth April, eighteen hundred and nine: Provided, That this act shall be considered only as a relinquishment of title on the part of the United States to the said tract, and not to prejudice the rights of third persons.

A BILL
MARCH 9, 1848.
For the relief of Edna Hickman, wife of Alexander D. Peck.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the title to two tracts of land, ten arpens front by forty deep, each, in all amounting to eight hundred acres, situated on the Bayou Bartholomew, in the parish of Morhouse, State of Louisiana, being a part of a Spanish grant to Baron Be Bastrop, of date first June, seventeen hundred and ninety-seven, be, and the same is hereby, confirmed to Edna Hickman: Provided, That this act shall not. be so construed as in any manner to confirm any part of said Be Bastrop grant, save the two tracts, or to affect the rights of third persons in said two tracts hereby confirmed. .

A BILL
MARCH 9, 1848.
For the relief of Sarah D. Caldwell, wife of James H. Brigham.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the title to- two parcels of land one containing eight hundred and seventy-five arpens, the other one hundred and seventy-one arpens, being part of a tract of land known as the Baron de Bastrop, which is held by Sarah P. Caldwell, by regular chain of title from Dc Bas8 trop—be confirmed t Sarah D. Caldwell, her heirs and assigns: Provided, That this act shall not be so construed as in any manner to confirm any part of said De Bastrop grants save the said two tracts, or to affect the rights of third persons in said two tracts hereby confirmed.

A BILL
JANUARY 4, 1832.
For the relief of the children of Charles Comb and Marguerite Laviolet, his wife.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the children of Charles Comb, and Marguerite Laviolet, be, and they are hereby, confirmed in their title to a tract of land of six hundred and forty acres, situated Ill tile county of Attaka6 pas, State of Louisiana, to be located in such manner as to embrace the improvements made by Louis Doze and Marguerite Laviolet, his wife, in their lifetime: Provided, That this act shall be considered only as a relinquishment of title on the part of the United States, and not to affect the rights of third persons.

A BILL
MAY 25, 1840.
For the relief of Rebecca Dudley, wife of Abraham Dudley, of the State of New York.

Be ii enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War cause to be issued to Rebecca Dudley, of the State of New York, the niece and heir of Peter Winn, a soldier of the New York line in the army of the Revolution, a duplicate of the warrant numbered eleven hundred and six, issued to the said Rebecca Dudley, for one hundred acres of military bounty land, dated the fifteenth day of February, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five, which last warrant has been lost.

A BILL
FEBRUARY 11, 1830.
For the relief of the children of Charles Comb or Cohen, and his late, wife Margarite, previously Margarite Dozi.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Slates of America in Congress assembled, That the title in and to a certain tract or parcel of land in the parish of Saint Martins, State of Louisiana, bounded below by lands of John Garrydo, and above by lands of Pierre Porrier, which was originally settled and cultivated by Louis Dozi, since, deceased, be, and the same is hereby, vested in, and confirmed as a donation to, the children of Charles Comb or Co9 hen, and his late wife Margarite, previously the wife of said Louis Dozi; and the Commissioner of the General Land Office, on the presentation of a plat and survey of said land, regularly made by competent authority, shall issue a patent therefore Provided, The quantity of land shall not exceed six hundred and forty acres: and provided, also, That this act shall amount only to a relinquishment on the part of the United States, and shall in no wise affect the rights of third persons, or any claim derived from the United States, either by donation or purchase.

A BILL
APRIL 4, 1850.
For the relief of Mary Harris, wife of Newsom Harris, deceased, for services rendered in the revolutionary war.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 lives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appro4 priated, there shall be allowed and paid to Mary Harris, wife of Newsom Harris, deceased, late of North Carolina, the sum of two thousand dollars for services rendered by the said Newsom Harris, as a soldier in the revolutionary war; the said sum to include all arrearages for pension and monthly pay.

A Bill
FEBRUARY 3, 1869.
For the relief of Isabella C. Youngs, wife of Theophilus Youngs.

Whereas letters patent were, on the twentieth day of May, anno Domini eighteen hundred and fifty-six, issued to James M. Miller for an “improvement in surface condensers for steam engines ;“ and whereas tile supreme court of the District of Columbia, on the fourth day of January, anno Domini eighteen hundred and sixty-six, ordered, adjudged, and decreed that all right, title, and interest of the said James M. Miller in and to the said invention and letters patent so granted unto him be, and the same are, by said decree transferred to and vested in the said Isabella C. Youngs in as full, ample, and beneficial a manner to all intents and purposes as the same were then held or enjoyed by the said James M. Miller: Therefore;
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Commissioner of Patents, upon due application made to him by the said Isabella C. Youngs, her heirs or assigns, is authorized to extend and renew, in the name of the said Isabella C. Youngs, her heirs or assigns, the said patent of James M. Miller, number fourteen thousand nine hundred and twenty-three, for an improvement in surface condensers for steam engines, for and during fourteen years from and after the twentieth day of May, anno Domini eighteen hundred and seventy, for the use and benefit of the said Isabella C. Youngs, her heirs and assigns, upon the same principle and evidence as if the application were made by the original patentee.